I would like to extend an invitation to my friends to experience the real Croatian Sensation. No, it’s not an Accordion player gyrating onstage. It’s a five-star rated small ship cruise from Dubrovnik to Zadar (and Zadar to Dubrovnik) with yours truly. We will visit all my favorite islands and secret pristine bays and beaches along the way. Trust me, you won’t find a more spectacular setting. And we will visit my Hvar, which is spectacular. Come and join us! Dobro došli! – Radoslav

Radoslav Lorković is available for a limited number of private House Concerts each year. All you need is a space that comfortably seats 25 (or more) people and a tuned piano or 88 key weighted action keyboard. Please send a message through the contact page to schedule a show.

I have just released a remastered and repackaged edition of my 1991 release “The Line.” It was a fairly hasty follow up to my debut and still definitive CD “Clear and Cold.” I had written a song called Duty Free Dubrovnik. It was inspired by a New York Times article depicting the huge party the rampaging JNA (Jugoslav National Army) threw when they ‘liberated’ the duty free shop at the Dubrovnik airport. Luckily that’s about as far as they got into Dubrovnik. I built the album around this theme along with the subtext of the 1991 Iraq war which occurred around the same time. It was recorded with all the superlatives of the fabulous Studio M in St Paul. Best Steinway piano in the land and a famously well equipped and staffed studio. The remastering really brings these qualities to the surface.I have a couple weeks off. Frankly, I’m a bit bored. There is nothing I would rather do than sit on my couch and personally autograph one of these fine recordings for you. I am so bored right now, I will throw in another CD of your choice for an extra five dollars. Shipping is included (to anywhere in the US) either way. Please get me to quit napping and start signing and mailing!

It was a fabulous evening with my dear friends Judi and Larry in Florida… I confess I was buzzing from the bubbles, the shrimp, the bubbles, the smoked mullet, more bubbles, a cheese platter then a decisive blow from a fabulous margarita concoction that sent me upstairs. I entered my guest house sized suite on slightly wobbly legs and began to drift into the ether. The phone rang. I scrambled, trying to pinpoint the green circle. A deep baritone voice starts talking. I have no idea who it is or what he is saying. I respond with remarkable clarity and relevance to everything said. Then three words tied me into the conversation. Nashville and Don Conoscenti. Apparently I was speaking to Shawn Mullins! He got my number from Don. Then I hear: “Can you come to Nashville tomorrow? I’m making a record.” I sobered up immediately and agreed to everything. Shawn then added “Yeah, I usually use my B3 guy but this record is different. I was thinking accordion. Not just any accordion and I know the guy.” Evidently that was me.

I said farewell to Judi and Larry vowing to deplete their full fridge of seafood specialties upon my return. I headed for the airport… not the Tampa airport, the St Pete airport. I actually had a gig there. There was a grand opening of a new terminal. Ribbon cutting, brunch, news crews, speeches and for some reason this had to be adorned by accordion music. Awkward indeed but I plowed through it gladly and was fed a nice brunch. Then I had a bit of time before my Nashville flight so a wandered a white sand beach and collected a lovely pile of shells.

Soon enough I traversed the causeway to the massive Tampa airport. I was Nashville bound. I was astonished how far north I had to travel to get down south. Headed up the elevator I overheard two thick central Tennessee accents avering that the Nashville airport was confusing. I chimed in “aren’t they all?” I exited the elevator and worked for 45 minutes trying to find my car. Then another 30 minutes seeking the ramp exit. The dot on my phone told me I was headed due west of Nashville. I took my exit seeing a Waffle House. This, unbeknownst to me, would be my main source of food for three days. Then I meandered down a tiny road through the deep woods and found myself smack dab in a Holler. I double checked to make sure all was right. You don’t want to be in the wrong private holler round here. Darkness fell. I passed a tiny broke down shack and thought: hmmmm. Kinda small for a studio. I kept driving. Then I saw a beautifully restored barn and a shining house on the hill. Shawn came out and greeted me wearing a cammo jacket. We went inside and I was amazed and the enormity and comfort of the studio. He played the tracks. Each one was the best song I had ever heard. A bit intimidating but right up my alley.

Then we went to the Waffle House. Shawn told me they had jukeboxes with songs specifically written for them. He began to sing. “Special lady, pourin coffee at the Waffle House. She’s amazing, shoutin all those orders out.” He was on a first name basis with the waitress. We went back up to the holler and I found myself on a queen bed smack dab in the drum booth. I looked up and noticed the the ceiling was painted like the Sistine Chapel. I slept great. We went right at it the next morning. I met the producer, the lovely Lari White. I hoped the accordion would help the already perfect tracks. Evidently it did. Lari had me play freely first. Then she had me do a simple textural pass. Then a fairly busy one. By that time she had composed a part of her own and sang it to me. (She is an accomplished pianist) I played back immediately. Our rapport was spot on. This process continued through all the songs.

To my astonishment I was asked to sing harmony vocals. To my greater astonishment Lari really like what she heard and had me add multiple layers which she all brilliantly pressed into the background vocal. It sounded way better then I do! I emerged from the vocal group to find Chuck Cannon, the co-writer of the songs standing there with the head Doobie Brother. They were off in another part of the holler writing. Good lord. The HEAD Doobie Brother heard me do all my squawking in the booth!
After all the songs were loaded up with accordion I took several passes on a super cool Wurlitzer. Some of that stuck as well.
After a truly incredible recording experience I drifted back south to Tampa where shrimp, mullet, dry champagne and mystery night caps greeted a rather happy camper.

Shawn Mullins’ “My Stupid Heart” is now available on iTunes and Amazon

Captain Ellis and First Mate Rad are embarking on what is sure to be a cruise not to be missed or forgotten. Experienced seamen that we are we will truly be in our in our element as we we navigate friendly Gulf waters just south of Tampa. We will shout out to Cuba and proceed through turquoise Caribbean waters to the Isla Encantada: Cozumel. I can assure you we will be even more entertaining than we would be at a landlocked concert. Lord knows that is saying something! I swear something comes alive within both of us when we are cruising tropical waters. It’s hard to explain. You just have to be there I guess. See you on the high seas January 7-11, 2016… First Mate Rad